Becky Taimes

Dancing With the Stars contestants had a night of being swept off their feet by the high speed of the quickstep and the jive.  We were looking for kicks and flips and got a few plus a whole lot of fun watching them burn up the dance floor. 

We started out with a jive by Hope Solo and Maksim Chmerkovsky.  Their costumes played off the fact that Hope is the USA’s goalie, Maks in a 1980’s style athletic ensemble and Hope in a sparkly purple cropped jersey.  Len Goodman told them that they lost their timing a little bit but announced they were “first out and first class.”  Bruno Tonioli didn’t think they put enough time in to perfect their routine.  Carrie Ann Inaba thought it was a great performance.  Scores: Carrie Ann = 6, Bruno = 6, Len = 7 Total = 19

Kristin Cavallari and partner Mark Ballas did the quickstep in the old Hollywood Marilyn Monroe style thing.  Dancing to “Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend.”  Bruno was “bedazzled by the blonde bomb shell.”  Carrie Ann praised it as stunning and sophisticated.  Len thought it was as good as she looked.  Scores: Carrie Ann = 8, Len = 7, Bruno = 7 Total = 22

David Arquette showed up wearing a gold suit with his partner Kym Johnson.  The did their best on the jive.  Carrie Ann said that Carson has some competition and that David ”let loose.”  Len complained that the technique wasn’t there and Bruno chimed in that he lost his timing.  Scores: Carrie Ann = 6, Len = 6, Bruno = 6 Total = 18

Elisabetta Canalis and Val Chmerkovsky quickstepped their way around the floor with Elisabetta looking beautiful in her blue dress.  At first, there wasn’t much encouragement from Len and Bruno.  They said that she needs to keep working and it wasn’t great but better than last week.  Carrie gave her something to hold onto when she said “You came back and nailed it.”  Scores: Carrie Ann = 7, Len = 7, Bruno = 7 Total = 21

Rob Kardashian and Cheryl Burke danced the jive to “Surfin Safari”  and Bruno declared that Rob is starting to have his own voice.  Carrie Ann joked that Rob is a better dancer than his sister Kim Kardashian.  Len politely pointed out that it was a proper performance. Scores: Carrie Ann = 7, Len = 7, Bruno = 7 Total = 21

We saw the fun but serious Carson Kressley do the quickstep with his partner Anna Trebunskaya.  Carrie Ann saw improvement but he was “a little wobbly.”  Len said “If I held a knife and fork like you hold Anna I’d starve to death.”  Bruno declared he was “Pee Wee Herman goes to prom.” Scores: Carrie Ann = 6, Len = 6, Bruno = 6 Total = 18

Ricki Lake with Derek Hough did a high speed high impact jive that garnered a huge applause. Len said a couple of steps disturbed him but he liked the fun of it.  Bruno praised their kicks and flips and Carrie Ann declared it the best jive of the evening.  Scores: Carrie Ann = 8. Bruno = 8, Len = 7 total = 23

Chaz Bono and Lacey Schwimmer tackled Chaz’s biggest fear this week, the quickstep.  Bruno remarked that Chaz has a likability factor, but he looked more like an Ewok dancing with Princess Leia,  Carrie Ann saw his pain from a knee injury and remarked the dance wasn’t fast enough.  Len said the bottom line was his quickstep was too slow.  Scores: Carrie Ann = 6, Bruno = 6, Len = 5 Total = 17

Chynna Phillips and Tony Dovolani worked hard on the jive this week and it gave Chynna lots of stress and pressure.  Carrie Ann thought it was genuinely good but that she played it safe. Len said it was good but not great and Bruno encouraged her to let her “sexy siren come out.”  Scores: Carrie Ann = 7, Len = 7, Bruno = 7 Total = 21

Nancy Grace surprised us and probably herself tonight by dancing the quickstep, with partner Tristan MacManus, surprisingly well.  She said the quickstep gave her no time to be nervous and I think that helped her.  Len started out by saying “how refreshing.”  Bruno said it was great to see her taking over the dance floor. Carrie Ann encouraged her by saying she has improved and she loves their team work.  Scores: Carrie Ann = 6, Len = 8, Bruno = 7 Total = 21

JR Martinez and Karina Smirnoff impressed Bruno, who said JR was born to dance.  Carrie thought their jive was fun and fabulous but Len didn’t share the good feelings.  He thought they did more of a lindy hop than a jive. Scores: Carrie Ann = 7, Bruno = 8, Len = 7 Total = 22

Who was the best of the night?

Becky Taimes

The 63rd Emmy Awards moved along smoothly with some good moments shared.  That is until we came to the medley of three songs by SNL’s The Lonely Island.  These three original songs included ‘Jack Sparrow,’ ‘I Just Had Sex,’ and ‘3-Way’.  I could hear USA, USA being chanted in the background during the songs... then as Akon sang “I just had sex” for the finale’ a massive US flag was lowered as a back drop.  All this was done in bad taste and only one week after September 11th.  Who makes decisions to televise something like that to unsuspecting viewers?  I think it was more of a mockery of the US  than entertainment.  Was it in poor taste to incorporate the US flag into The Lonely Island medley backdrop?

Becky Taimes

Do you think that Congress should repeal health care reform i.e. Obamacare? This was a hot topic with tea party candidates during the 2010 midterm elections.

Becky Taimes

Olbermann was suspended after giving money to three democratic candidates for the midterm elections. Olbermann acts as a liberal counter-weight to Fox's conservative/republican bias on his show Countdown with Keith Olbermann.

Becky Taimes

Do you think that hate groups like the Aryan Nation and other Neo-Nazis should be protected by the 1st Amendment, the freedom of speech?

Becky Taimes

Do you think that Intelligent Design should be taught in Public Schools as valid alternative theory to Evolution?

Becky Taimes

Since the cold war the terms socialism/socialist and its big brother communism have been directly linked as Un-American. But at the same time the American Government and its people have enacted socialist policies i.e. the big one Social Security. So, do you think it is still taboo for someone to call a spade a spade or do we still have to cover them up with other, more American terms? Even knowing that the socialist policies during World War Two and the Great Depression saved the country as we know it?

Becky Taimes

The Democratic party has organized a final push in these last few weeks of the campaign season, President Obama has been a big part of this. But is it too little to late when compared to the Tea Party's shot of ideological energy into the G.O.P. So here it, what do you think the results of the Mid-Term elections will be?

Becky Taimes

With the Bush Tax Cuts set to end, President Obama wants an extension for low income families, but wants to allow the increase for the wealthy. Is this class warfare, or good economic policy?

Becky Taimes

My 14 year old daughter and I were talking a few weeks ago about her relationship with a boy in her class. She has been dating him steady for about 8 months now.

Well, I decided to ask her what she would do if he tried to have sex with her. To my astonishment, she told me they had been planning to have sex the first chance they had in privacy.

I couldn't believe my 14 year old baby is actually considering to start having sex. 14 is way too young.

Therefore, I have forced her to stop seeing him and I grounded her for almost making a horrible decision, in complete contrast of the morals and values we've attempted to instill in our daughters...that is, sex is for marriage.

However, I can't help but wander what the average parental response is in America to a similar situation in the millenium.

Was I right or was I wrong for the way I handled my daughters situation?

Becky Taimes